Vallejo Thinner medium ... how do I use this?

[Helias_Tancred]

I've never used a thinner before. Last night I picked up Vallejo medium thinner. I've known for a while my results would look better if I thinned my GW paints a little ....

 

So how do I use this?

 

 

Thanks.

 

 

[Stoic Raptor]

Use a large brush to transfer a few brushfuls of paint to your palette surface.  Make sure you're not overloading the brush, as you want to keep paint from getting up into the ferrule.

 

Nearby (but not in) the little pool of paint you have, place a drop of thinner.  Work a little of it into the pool of paint until you have the desired consistency (about that of milk).  Ultimately you'll find it's about a 1:1 ratio of thinner to paint.  You don't want to drop thinner directly unto the paint because you won't be able to control the consistency (and will probably go from not enough thinner to "too much" and waste paint).

 

If you have the right consistency, paint should flow smoothly from your brush onto the model without pooling or streaking.  If you gently touch the tip of the loaded brush to a paper towel, only a tiny bit of moisture should leave the brush.

 

Vallejo thinner isn't bad, but it's not the best choice either.  At a 1:1 ratio, you'll spend as much on thinner as you do on paint.  For more on thinning and an economical recipe for thinner, see my blog post.